Auxiliary motor for bicycles



May 13, 1952 Filed Nov. 1, 1946 A. FARINELLI AUXILIARY MOTOR FOR BICYCLES 7 Sheets-Sheet l y 1952 A. FAR INELLI 2,596,391

AUXILIARY MOTOR FOR BICYCLES Filed Nov. 1, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 f wii May 13, 1952 A. FARINELLI AUXILIARY MOTOR FOR BICYCLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 1, 1946 May 13, 1952 A. FARINELLI 2,596,391

AUXILIARY MOTOR FOR BICYCLES Filed Nov. 1, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ALDO FDARINELLI ATTYS May 13, 1952 FARINELL] 2,596,391

AUXILIARY MOTOR FOR BICYCLES Filed Nov. 1, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ALDO FARINELLJI ATTYS.

May 13, 1952 A. FARINELLI 2,596,391

AUXILIARY MOTOR FOR BICYCLES Filed Nov. 1, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 NVENTOR A LDO FAWN E hm ATTYS.

mmanmmmmamuuumn May 13, 1952 A. FARINELLI AUXILIARY MOTOR FOR BICYCLES Filed NOV. 1, 1946 Jon FIG. 8

7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Avm-wraz Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 1, 1946, Serial No. 707,239 In Italy May 17, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires May 17, 1964 2 Claims.

The object of this invention is an auxiliary motor unit applicable to any normal bicycle at the lowest and most resistant central point of the bicycle, retaining for the transmission by pedal or engine the Single existing chains. In addition, another object of the invention is to adapt to this transmission a supplementary two speed gear, which may be operated by an automatic device, so as to avoid a double control of the existing change speed gear. According to the invention, these objects are achieved by particularly simple means, ensuring direct transmission between the motor and drive wheel of the bicycle.

The annexed drawing shows diagrammatically and by way of example, an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of an installation of a motor to a bicycle.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section of the installation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective partially exploded view of an engine and the portion of a bicycle to which it is to be applied.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the transmission including the clutch and change speed gearing.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the motor housing.

Fig. 6a is a fragmentary plan view of the shift preselector device in one position.

Fig. 6b is a fragmentary plan view of the shift pre-selector device in another position.

Fig. 6c is a fragmentary plan view of the shift pre-selector device in a third position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the motor taken on line Vl1VH of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the motor on a plane passing therethrough perpendicularly to the axis of the crank shaft.

In the diagrammatic representation of Figs. 1

and 2, the internal characteristics of the engine,

which may be of the two or four stroke type, are omitted, the only condition being that it should be narrow enough to be fitted in the space between the two pedal cranks and that it should preferably be fitted with an internal clutch which may be,

operated from the left side, and a transmission shaft on the right side on the extension of the secondary shaft of the two speed gear.

In planning the engine, care must be taken that the axis the driving shaft I50 is within a radius of about ten centimeters from the axis of the recess 2 in the crank case, which is coaxial with the spindle of the bottom pedal'shaft housing or bracket 4. The driving shaft should be at such a height that its axis and the axes of the pedal 2 crank and rear hub lie approximately in the same plane.

In other words, the condition required for the use of the transmission is that the outside of the engine unit should be of a form approximately as shown in the diagrams of Figs. 1 and 2, so that the engine unit may be placed with a recess 2 underneath and around the front part of the bottom bracket 4 and with the longitudinal recess 5 against the tube 3. Fig. 3 shows how these conditions may be met; the hollow 2 is applied against the bottom bracket by means of two collars 6, 6' with bored ends engaging two bolts 6a fast with the engine casing, and the hollow 5 is held on the tube or bar 3 by means of an attachment 1 provided with holes engaging two further bolts Ia likewise with the engine casing. The attachment 1 is connected to a clamp B clamped on a seat pillar 9 of the bicycle.

The engine driving shaft I 50 carries a sprocket Ill transmitting motion through a chain K to the sprocket I2, Fig. 2 carried by the hub of the rear wheel. The end of the shaft I50 has mounted thereon with the interposition of a free wheel clutch of a known type, and therefore not illus trated in detail on the drawing, a pinion II consisting of two circular plates carrying a series of circumferential rollers. The pinion II meshes with an internally toothed gear wheel I3, which is secured by a cotter pin I8 to the axle I4 in place of the right-hand pedal crank. Said internally toothed crown I3 carries in its plane a rigid extension I5 serving as a crank, into a threaded hole of which is screwed the original right pedal P1, taken from the unused pedal crank of the bicycle. I

On the opposite side of axle I 4 the original crank I! with the corresponding pedal P2 still remains in operation. The above-described transmission mechanism permits direct drive by means of chain K between the driving pinion I0 and pinion I2 of the hub of the rear wheel, while the shaft I 4 of the pedals is not driven because of the free wheel interposed between the pinion II and driving shaft I50. By acting on the pedals P1, P2, the said free wheel permits driving of pinion Ill.

The engine is provided with a clutch and a variable two speed gear. Means are also provided to effect the control of the variable speed. gear and the clutch coacting with the left hand pedal crank in order to preselect the speed required.

A motor construction suitable for this purpose is diagrammatically shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 3 8. A cover 20 is fitted to the left end of the axle I4 in such a way that its cam edge 20a formin a crown extends over about 200 of its circumference towards the bicycle beyond the interior face of the pedal crank I I. Said cover is also connected in any known manner to the pedal crank I1. A lever 22 is pivoted at 2I on the left side of the engine case. This lever acts, by means of a regulating screw 23, on the push rod which operates the engine clutch I3I in the usual way,

and is articulated at its upper end 24 close to the pedal axle I4 to anotherlever 25. Lever 25 acts by its forward end 28 on the outer end of a rod 26, slidable in the guides 31 formed in the motor case walls. A forked lever 40 fitted to said rod 20 and moving therewith engages the collar of a ring I38 slidable on the shaft I 50 and connected by means of a pin I39 to a secondary rod I30 slidable in the hollow part of the shaft I50, in order to throw in the required speed, Fig. 4.

The device operates as follows: the operation lever 22 effects declutching; at the same time, the upper end 24 of this lever moves outwards .the central part of the lever ,25 which is pivoted to it. If the cam edge a of the cover 20 is between the points 24 and 28, lever acts as a lever of the first order, finding its point of support on the edge 20a of the cover, the effort at 24 and loadat 28. The latter point is then moved inwards, pressing rod 26 axially and throwing in one of the speeds. On the other hand, if, by rotation of the pedals, the cover 20 is turned through 180, the same declutching movement of the lever 22 will result in lever 25 as, a lever of third order; the point of support 4| will be moved with the edge 20a of the cover 20 to the rear end Ofthe lever 25, which will move its end 28 outwards. Rod 23 is then displaced and the gear is changed. If the cover 20 is stopped in an intermediate position so that its edge 20 encounters lever 25 at two points 40 and 4| diametrically, or almost diametrically opposite, this lever under the action of the lever 22 is placed parallel to the motor casing wall, moving the rod 26 to an intermediate position between the limits of its stroke, which corresponds to the neutral position of the change speed gear.

The cover 20 therefore acts as a preselector of the required speed, engagement of which is automatic by the simple operation of the clutch, according to the pedal position; for instance, left pedal forward, first speed; right pedal forward,

bustion engine meeting the requirement of the transmission system described above.

IN is the engine crank case of the motor, I02 the cylinder, I03 the piston, I04 the connecting rod, I05 the crank shaft mounted on ball bearing I09, I09 and carrying the counterweights I06 and I06 linked together by a crank pin I01. H0 is the engine flywheel. A gear wheel I08 with a small numberof teeth (say twelve or thirteen) is fitted on the left side of the crank shaft, and the rotor IIO of a magnetic fly wheel is mounted outside of the casing on a cone terminating the shaft I05 on that side.

The toothed wheel I08, solid with the crank shaft engages a toothed wheel I2I with double the number of teeth, idly mounted on the driving shaft- I of the engine. Thehub of wheel I2I is formed directly on the cam I22 for the operation of the valve mechanism. The same cam I22 serves for the induction and exhaust valve control, the corresponding rocker arms I23 and I23, acting on the tappet rod I25, being arranged in the manner clearly shownin Fig. 8. The bulk of a special cam shaft is thus avoided. The tappet rod I25 acts under tension and not by compression, on the stem of the valve I25 by means of rods I25, and the levers I2I pivoted at I28 on the extensions of the wings of the cylinder head. A gear I29, integral with gear I2I, engages the external teeth of a crown I30 mounted on a shaft I5I. The crown I30 is the driving member of a friction clutch loosely mounted on the shaft I5I. The crown I30 is the driving member of a friction clutch embodying metal discs I3I, of which the driven member is slidably splined on the shaft I5I.

Said crown may be utilized for lifting the lubrieating oil from the bottom of the casing and throwing it on the various gears inside the casing and in a sump I32 fitted under the counterweights of the crank shaft; Said counterweights lubricate the inside of the cylinder by splashing the excess oil falling inside the casing.

Two gears I33 and I33 are keyed on shaft I5I permanently in mesh with two gears I34 and I34, respectively, mounted on shaft I50; Gears I34 and I34 may be selectively keyed on shaft I50 by means of a slidable rod' I36 provided with an enlarged portion I36a cooperating with balls I35 mounted in radial slots in shaft I50. One end of rod I36 is connected to the grooved ring I38 axially displaceable by means of a forked lever 40 (Fig. 4).

This affords between the crank shaft and output sprocket I0 of the transmission a greatreduction in ratio by means of the pairs of gears I08--I2I, I29-.-I30 and I33--I34 or I33I34'.

I claim:

1. In combination with a bicycle having a pedal crank shaft housing, a front diagonal bar, an upwardly extending seat pillar and a rearwardly extendingfork, a pedal crank shaft, left and right pedal cranks extending from the ends of the pedal crank shaft, a rear wheel carried by the rear fork and a sprocket on the rear wheel, an auxiliary motor unit comprising an internal combustion engine having a crank case, an

. output shaft parallel with the said pedal crankshaft, means for attaching said engine to the bicycle frame, in front of and underneath the pedal shaft housing and against the front'diagonal bar, a chain sprocket carried by the en gine output shaft, a chain connecting said sprocket with the rear wheel sprocket of the bicycle, a toothed wheel freely mounted on said engine output shaft, a free wheel clutch interposed between said toothed wheel and the engine output shaft, an internally toothed crown wheel on the right pedal of the bicycle, said crown wheel being directly in mesh with the toothed free wheel on the engine output shaft.

2. In combination with a bicycle'having a pedal crank shaft housing, a front diagonal bar, an upwardly extending seat pillar and a rearwardly extending'fork, a pedal crank shaft, left and right pedal cranks extending from the ends of'the pedal crankshaft, a rear wheel carried by the rear fork and a sprocket on the rear wheel, an auxiliary motor unit comprising an internal combustion engine'having a crank case, an output shaft parallel with the said pedal crankshaft,

-means for attaching said engine to the bicycle frame, in front of and underneath the pedal shaft housing and against the front diagonal bar, a chain sprocket carried by the engine output shaft, 2. chain connecting said sprocket with the rear wheel sprocket of the bicycle, a toothed wheel freely mounted on said engine output shaft, a free wheel clutch interposed between said toothed wheel and the engine output shaft, an internally toothed crown wheel on the right pedal shaft of the bicycle, said crown wheel being directly in mesh with the toothed free wheel on the engine output shaft, a clutch actuating lever pivotally mounted on the left crank case wall, a change speed lever pivoted at the upper end of said clutch actuating lever and having two projections at its free end and at an intermediate point of its length, respectively, and a cam edge carried by the left end of the pedal shaft, said cam edge extending through an arc of about 200 of a circumference having a diameter equalling the distance between the said two projections, and being adapted to form supports for the said projections in the unclutched position of the said lever.

ALDO FARINELLI.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 486,055 Saladee Nov. 8, 1892 833,584 Cress Oct. 16, 1906 1,064,602 Bond June 10, 1913 1,097,546 Harley May 19, 1914 2,212,279 Steinlein et a1 Aug. 20, 1940 2,232,090 Anderson Feb. 18, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 96,405 Switzerland Oct. 2, 1922 253,623 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1948 253,790 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1948 347,797 Germany Jan. 28, 1922 553,921 France Feb. 20, 1923 

